India to Acquire Russian Container-S OTH Radar to Preempt J-20, J-35A Stealth Threats in the Himalayas

(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — Faced with the accelerating deployment of stealth-capable fifth-generation fighter aircraft by China and Pakistan, India is reportedly finalizing a high-level government-to-government deal with Russia to acquire one of the world’s most powerful long-range surveillance assets—the Container-S Over-The-Horizon (OTH) radar.

The system, designated 29B6 by Russian defence industry sources, is designed to detect aerial targets—ranging from low-flying cruise missiles to hypersonic glide vehicles—at distances beyond 3,000 kilometers, a capability that positions India to track and potentially counter threats long before they enter its national airspace.

According to senior Indian defence sources, “The strategic acquisition of the Container-S OTH radar is aimed at significantly enhancing India’s long-range surveillance and early warning capabilities, particularly in the face of intensifying regional security challenges.”

Built by Russian defence contractor NPK NIIDAR, the Container-S operates in the high-frequency (HF) spectrum, between 5 MHz and 28 MHz, using skywave propagation that reflects signals off the ionosphere—enabling the radar to detect targets far beyond the line of sight, effectively penetrating the limitations of traditional radar systems.

Critically, this system is specifically engineered to identify and track low-RCS (radar cross-section) targets including stealth aircraft such as China’s J-20 Mighty Dragon and Pakistan’s incoming J-35A fighters, both of which pose significant strategic challenges to India’s existing air defence architecture.

The Container-S radar’s wide 240-degree field of view and altitude coverage of up to 100 kilometers is enabled through a bistatic design, where the transmitting and receiving arrays are separated, offering superior resilience to electronic jamming, signal spoofing, and cyber intrusion—a major consideration in modern peer-state conflict.

Its transmitting site includes 36 antennas, each rising roughly 34 meters in height, while the receiving array comprises 144 antennas laid out in precise linear formation, granting the system highly accurate detection and tracking fidelity across a wide aerial battlespace.

More importantly, the radar is capable of monitoring hundreds of airborne objects simultaneously across intercontinental distances, providing India with a persistent and real-time intelligence layer critical for early threat detection and multi-domain situational awareness.

Once inducted, the Container-S is expected to be integrated into India’s existing multi-layered air defence command network, operating in conjunction with high-end systems such as the Russian-made S-400 Triumf, which recently demonstrated its effectiveness in countering aerial incursions during the May 2025 cross-border standoff.

Indian defence analysts anticipate that several Container-S systems will be strategically deployed to key regions, particularly those facing China to the north and Pakistan to the west, in a clear bid to assert aerial dominance and bolster deterrence against coordinated fifth-gen air campaigns.

This acquisition comes amid intensifying Chinese military activity in the Tibetan Plateau, where Beijing has recently stationed its stealth-capable J-20 fighters at forward air bases, including the high-altitude Shigatse airfield located less than 150 kilometers from the Indian border near Sikkim.

Imagery obtained via satellite on 27 May 2024 revealed the presence of six J-20 fighters, eight J-10 multirole aircraft, and a KJ-500 airborne early warning platform parked at Shigatse—a dual-use facility situated at 12,408 feet above sea level, making it one of the highest-operating airbases in the world.

The deployment of J-20s—previously concentrated in China’s eastern theatre—marks a deliberate strategic realignment by the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) toward its western frontier, signaling China’s intent to consolidate air superiority in the Himalayan region through forward basing of its most advanced fighter assets.

Defence analysts describe this as a key component of Beijing’s “dual strategy”—combining diplomatic overtures with hard power projection along contested borders—mirroring similar patterns observed during past flare-ups along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Designed by Chengdu Aerospace Corporation, the J-20 Mighty Dragon is China’s flagship fifth-generation fighter, featuring all-aspect stealth, long-range strike capabilities, and supercruise performance, rivalling the U.S. F-22 and F-35 in profile and combat mission scope.

The aircraft boasts an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, internal weapons bays, and an advanced electronic warfare suite—engineered to penetrate heavily defended airspace and deliver precision strikes deep into enemy territory while maintaining low observability.

In a calibrated countermeasure, India has stationed its most advanced Rafale multirole fighters—acquired from France—at Hasimara Air Force Station in West Bengal, located within striking distance of Shigatse, thereby establishing a credible air deterrent directly opposite China’s deployed stealth assets.

India has also upgraded frontline air infrastructure, including hardened shelters, forward-operating logistics nodes, and enhanced deployment of S-400 missile batteries capable of tracking and intercepting stealth threats, cruise missiles, and hypersonic glide vehicles.

Meanwhile, Pakistan is preparing to induct its own fifth-generation capability with the imminent arrival of the Chinese-built J-35A stealth fighter, a carrier-capable platform designed by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation and expected to enter operational service with the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) by early 2026.

Recent intelligence reports suggest that Beijing has expedited delivery of the J-35A to Islamabad by six months, allowing the first batch to be received by Q1 2026 instead of the previously projected end-2026 timeline—a clear indication of China’s intent to militarily empower its closest regional ally.

Sources within the Pakistan Air Force indicate that pilot training is already underway, with PAF aircrews deployed to China to familiarize themselves with J-35A operational protocols and mission systems ahead of the aircraft’s formal induction.

“With Beijing accelerating the delivery of J-35A by six months, Pakistan is now expected to receive the first batch of fifth-generation stealth fighters in early 2026,” a senior PAF official disclosed.

While no official statements have been released by the Government of Pakistan, the PAF, or Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, multiple reports confirm that Pakistan is on track to receive up to 40 J-35A aircraft over the next two years, marking the first export of a fifth-gen Chinese fighter.

This development could dramatically tilt the South Asian air power balance, with Islamabad positioned to field stealth-capable fighters ahead of India’s indigenous AMCA program or any potential F-35 acquisition—an advantage that shifts operational supremacy in favour of Pakistan for the foreseeable future.

The J-35A features twin engines, a single-seat configuration, and low-observable design principles, including radar-absorbing materials (RAM), internal weapon carriage, and reduced infrared signatures—designed to excel in both offensive penetration and network-centric air warfare.

Acting as a battle-space integrator, the J-35A is expected to conduct joint target designation, direct engagement, and real-time data-sharing with surface-to-air missile batteries, AEW&C aircraft, and other networked systems—presenting a formidable multi-axis threat in future conflict scenarios.

Pakistan Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar previously acknowledged the platform’s pending induction, stating, “Negotiations have taken place for the procurement of the J-35A, which will soon become part of the Pakistan Air Force.”

As India races to close its fifth-generation capability gap, its acquisition of the Container-S OTH radar represents a strategic pivot—prioritizing persistent surveillance and real-time intelligence to maintain situational dominance in an increasingly contested aerial environment across the Himalayan frontier.

— DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA